This invention relates to what is commonly referred to as xe2x80x9cprotective packagingxe2x80x9d, and more specifically to such devices and components utilized in protecting heavy goods which may also have fragile parts to be handled or shipped, and the materials utilized to fabricate such devices and components.
A packaging component may be generally defined as a material or plurality of materials that are selected and designed for the purpose of providing specific packaging properties or a range of properties. These materials are used in such a manner so as to construct or fabricate packaging components. Examples of some packaging materials would be paper, corrugated paper, fiber board, polyurethane foam and boards, expanded polystyrene, polyethylene, polypropylene, steel, aluminum, wood, and virtually any other material deemed appropriate for the packaging challenge at hand.
A packaging component may best be described as an engineered device that communicates with the object actually being packaged in such a manner so as to provide for the optimum level of packaging protection achievable. Examples of packaging components would be a plastic bag, a corrugated carton, a wood or paper pallet, a corrugated slip sheet, an aluminum can, an expanded polystyrene corner, a xe2x80x9cfoam in placexe2x80x9d construct made of polyurethane foam, and plastic bubble wrap, just to name a few. Obviously, the aforementioned list is far from being comprehensive. More specifically, for the purposes of this disclosure, the terms xe2x80x9cpackagingxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cprotectionxe2x80x9d, and xe2x80x9ccushioningxe2x80x9d shall refer to all of the processes and factors relevant to ensuring the safety of an item or items during the xe2x80x9cmaterial handlingxe2x80x9d process. Additionally, for the purposes of this disclosure, the term xe2x80x9cmaterial handlingxe2x80x9d shall refer to all of the factors relevant to the staging, organization, storing, location, loading, movement, shipping, unloading, wrapping, containment, tracking, protection, and overall xe2x80x9csafety and preservationxe2x80x9d of goods and materials.
As illustrated above, a multitude of various packaging materials exists today, the variety of which are almost unlimited. Even more staggering is the number of packaging components constructed of these materials. The criteria for determining the selection of materials and the subsequent design of the packaging component are usually performance and economy. Virtually any packaging challenge can be addressed effectively when only performance parameters are considered. When economic factors are taken into account, however, the task can become quite challenging.
A formidable task with respect to the instant invention was to provide a packaging system that could successfully protect from damage the delicate features generally indigenous to all vehicular radiators. While the invention hereafter described is particularly directed to this application of packaging such radiators, it will be understood that the invention has far broader application in other environments and to other articles to be packaged.
Generally stated, all radiators, whether designed for the smallest sub-compact car or the largest diesel off road truck, present numerous packaging challenges. For example, all such radiators have as a main component a tank or plurality of tanks the purpose of which are to contain cooling fluids. These tanks are generally delicate (e.g., thin-walled), often irregularly shaped, and may possess thin and/or sharp surfaces. Additionally, the tanks may typically be made of either plastic, copper-brass, or aluminum. Those radiators that are constructed of copper-brass are particularly difficult to protect and package given their weight, because the stresses placed on the packaging are significantly higher due to higher inertial forces. The packaging of the prior art therefore necessitated the utilization of a different design than that which would be employed for the plastic or aluminum radiator, for instance.
Generally speaking, radiators can be classified into three general categories of construction. For the purposes of this disclosure, they are referred to as follows:
Category xe2x80x9cAxe2x80x9d: Radiators are constructed of plastic tanks, aluminum frames, and aluminum cores. Radiators in this category are the lightest, and hence easiest to package.
Category xe2x80x9cBxe2x80x9d: Radiators are constructed of plastic tanks, copper-brass frames, and aluminum cores. Radiators in this category are somewhat more difficult to package than those of category xe2x80x9cAxe2x80x9d above.
Category xe2x80x9cCxe2x80x9d: Radiators in this category are constructed of copper-brass tanks, copper-brass frames, and aluminum cores. Radiators in this category are by far more difficult to package than those of categories xe2x80x9cAxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cBxe2x80x9d. Therefore, the prior art methodology for packaging radiators in this category includes the use of certain packaging materials that one would typically not employ when packaging radiators of categories xe2x80x9cAxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cBxe2x80x9d. Specifically, the radiators of category xe2x80x9cCxe2x80x9d are packaged utilizing polyurethane based xe2x80x9cfoam-in-placexe2x80x9d and molded xe2x80x9cEPSxe2x80x9d (expanded polystyrene). Although both of these materials provide adequate protection and thus good packaging attributes, both of these materials are considered less than ecologically sound.
Other characteristics of radiators are delicate, protruding valves, a filler neck, hose fittings, and other miscellaneous protrusions that facilitate connection with the intended machinery. All radiators have as one of their main components, what is known as a xe2x80x9ccross-flowxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cdown-flowxe2x80x9d section. The respective terms refer to the arrangement of the tank(s) with regard to the final orientation of the radiator. The core section is typically comprised of many, very delicate cooling fins. Due to the fragile nature of the fins, extra attention to the design of the packaging is called for.
There have been numerous prior art attempts to meet the demands of packaging such articles. The would-be solutions and components available, however, are either not entirely satisfactory as performers mechanically, they do not meet the requisite costs constraints, or they simply do not provide an adequate performance to costs benefit.
To further complicate matters, another challenge presented was to provide a package that would, in effect yield a universal packaging design for virtually all radiators, regardless of size and weight. To clearly illustrate the formidable task at hand, one need only consider the scope and diversity of machinery that has as part of its mechanical constitution, at lease one radiator. One company is known to manufacture at least 200 different radiators, for cars and light trucks alone, hence, the range and scope of radiator designs is staggering. Currently, packaging for radiators tends to be highly specific; that is, each different style and specification of radiator has had its packaging designed specifically for it. Stated differently, a package designed for radiator xe2x80x9cxxe2x80x9d would fit radiator xe2x80x9cxxe2x80x9d, and possibly some other radiators, but this limited adaptability would be a function of chance, not necessarily intelligent design. Obviously, the sheer quantity of packaging that one company would need to stock in order to have packaging on hand for 200 radiators is colossal. Additionally one must consider the logistical challenge of tracking and handling the huge inventory, and designing a new package as required for each new radiator design.
Another factor that must be considered is the life cycle of the tools required on producing the packaging components. Because of the very limited applicability of the prior art packaging to a range of radiators, a tool designed, for example, to form expanded polystyrene end caps for a given range of radiator designs becomes less universal each year in its applicability, and thus, has less remaining value.
It becomes clear that the currently available packaging and approaches to packaging provide a relatively expensive attempt to resolving the problem of packaging radiators.
Specifically, it is most desirable to provide a packaging solution that is more universal in its application. Stated more precisely, a highly desirable radiator package design would be one that provides exceptional protection, is convenient to ship and handle, is environmentally friendly as well as economically feasible, and provides one package of a given specification capable of packaging a range of radiator designs. While it is possible for some of the prior art designs to meet some of the cushioning-protection (mechanical) requirements, to this Applicant""s knowledge, there are no packages available that meet all of the desired characteristics. Thus, all packaging components for cushioning and protecting radiators heretofore known suffer from a number of disadvantages:
(a) They fail to provide a support mechanism which will properly cushion and protect the product, and
(b) are not universal in applicability across a range of radiators.
(c) Their utilization requires the investment in large inventories of packaging components because,
(d) it is required that each new package be more or less custom designed, thus,
(e) there are design/engineering cost(s) inherent in each container which results in
(f) a more costly overall packaging solution when all economic factors are considered.
It is a principal objective of the present invention to provide a new and improved component for packaging an article, and a packaging system using that component. It is a more specific objective to provide a packaging system for a vehicular radiator with such a new and improved packaging component.
To these and other ends the present invention has a base member with a central part defining a plane and a first pair of opposed sides. A portion of each opposed side of the first pair of sides is foldable out of the plane of the base member to form arms to the base, with the arms being connected to the central part.
There is a member, such as one or more straps, engageable with the arms when they are folded toward each other, such as when the arms are embracing an article on the base. The article to be packaged with the arms in the folded condition and the strap(s) engaged with the arms is thereby stabilized relative to the base member.
The packaging component further advantageously includes a second pair of opposed sides on the base member. This second pair of opposed sides is orthogonal to the first pair of sides, with a portion of each opposed side of the second pair being foldable out of the plane of the base member, and forming legs when so folded.
In one preferred form of the invention, the base member is made of a rectangular planar sheet, such as of a rigid Kraft paper, and is cut, as by die-cutting, to form the arms. The legs are defined, at least in part, by fold lines on the sheet. Also, by way of explanation and not limitation, when regions or demarcations are described as being xe2x80x9ccutxe2x80x9d, this could and is meant to include not only complete slits but also perforations which may not be completely cut through in all respects, but are readily split to form complete cuts. xe2x80x9cFold linesxe2x80x9d likewise can be defined by perforations, embossments, weakened areas and the like.
The packaging component of the foregoing preferred form has a center line, with parallel lateral sides and parallel ends to the sheet. The legs are defined by a first fold line inboard from and parallel to an adjacent lateral side, and a second fold line inboard from and parallel to an adjacent end. In one embodiment, the legs are further defined by a diagonal fold line extending diagonally inboard from each corner of the rectangular planar sheet, which forms a gusset (or bellows) when the legs are folded.
In another embodiment, instead of a bellows corner, the legs are further defined by side leg portions and end leg portions, with a cut forming a lapping portion at each corner of the rectangular planar sheet. The lapping portion is folded over and overlies an adjacent leg portion when the legs are folded. Most advantageously, the legs further include pre-cut locking tabs formed in one of the side and end leg portions at each corner of the sheet. Pre-cut tab receptacles are formed in the other of the side and end leg portions, again at each corner. The pre-cut tabs and tab receptacles are located so that the tabs can be received within the receptacles when the legs are folded. This eliminates the need to glue or otherwise affix the legs in position.
The packaging component of one preferred embodiment has each arm defined by a pair of spaced cuts extending inboard from a respective side. There are a plurality of fold lines extending between the spaced cuts. This yields arms which can readily be folded, at one of numerous fold lines, about articles (e.g., radiators) of different dimensions.
In an embodiment specifically adapted as a system for packaging vehicular radiators, the invention provides a generally planar tray member having two opposed sides, with a portion of each opposed side being foldable out of the plane of the tray member to yield the foregoing arms to the tray. Strapping is supplied which is engageable with the arms when the arms are folded upon the radiator placed upon the tray member. This embodiment further includes opposed ends for the tray member, with a portion of each opposed end likewise being foldable out of the plane of the tray member, yielding the foregoing legs to the tray when so folded.
At least one stand-off element mountable on one of the radiator and the tray member can be advantageously provided. The stand-off element operates as a spacer and positioner relative to a container within which the tray member is received with the stand-off element mounted in place.
The foregoing embodiment for the packaging system also has the noted container within which the tray member with radiator attached thereto is received. The container is preferably sized to snugly fit around the tray member.
Accordingly, several objects and advantages that the present invention accomplishes are: providing a support mechanism which will protect the product, and is universal in applicability across a range of articles, such as radiators. The utilization of the invention does not require the investment in large inventories of packaging components because it is not required that each package be custom designed. Hence, there are no design/engineering cost(s) inherent in each new container, and thus a cost effective overall packaging solution is provided, especially when all economic factors are considered.
Other objects and advantages achieved in the present packaging component and system will become more apparent and be further understood from a consideration of the following detailed description of embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which: